[Peace-discuss] Fwd: Voices in the Wilderness - Federal Judge Orders Fine

[C. G. Estabrook]

[We discussed Kathy Kelly's visit to C-U the third weekend in
September at tonight's meeting.  --CGE]

---- Original message ----
>Date: Sun, 14 Aug 2005 18:31:38 -0600
>From: "Voices in the Wilderness" <emaillist at vitw.org>  
>Subject: Voices in the Wilderness - Federal Judge Orders Fine  
>
>Voices in the Wilderness Issues Press Statement
>
>For Further Information: Jeff Leys or Kathy Kelly at 773-784-8065
>
>Chicago-On August 12, 2005 U.S. Federal District Judge John
Bates ordered payment of a $20,000 fine imposed against Voices
in the Wilderness. Voices was fined for bringing medicine to
Iraq in a classic campaign of open nonviolent civil
disobedience to challenge the economic sanctions imposed by
the U.S. and the U.N. against Iraq. The U.S. Treasury
Department initially imposed the fine in 2002, days after
Voices participated in international actions to oppose the
U.S. buildup for war against Iraq.
>
>Voices in the Wilderness issued the following statement:
>
>"Today, the judiciary branch of the U.S. government completed
a perfect trifecta of inhumanity in upholding a $20,000 fine
against Voices in the Wilderness for bringing medicine to
Iraqi citizens. Judge Bates agrees that it was lawful and
proper for the U.S. government to deny needed drugs and
medical supplies to Iraq's most vulnerable citizens, despite
the evidence that several hundred thousand innocent children
were dying because of brutal economic sanctions.
>
>"Voices will not pay a penny of this fine. The economic
sanctions regime imposed brutal and lethal punishment on Iraqi
people. The U.S. government would not allow Iraq to rebuild
its water treatment system after the U.S. military
deliberately destroyed it in 1991. The U.S. government denied
Iraq the ability to purchase blood bags, medical needles and
medicine in adequate supplies-destroying Iraq's health care
system.
>
>"We chose to travel to Iraq in order to openly challenge our
country's war against the Iraqi people. We fully understood
that our acts could result in criminal or civil charges. We
acted because when our country's government is committing a
grievous, criminal act, it is incumbent upon each of us to
challenge in every nonviolent manner possible the acts of the
government.
>
>"We continue to oppose the U.S. occupation of Iraq, which
continues the devastation of the Iraqi people. Over the past
two years of occupation, the health care and water systems in
Iraq have not improved. Nearly 300,000 children under the age
of 5 now suffer from acute child malnutrition. It's likely
that over 100,000 Iraqis have died because of the
occupation-either killed outright by military action or died
because of the lack of safe drinking water, adequate health
care, lack of food. What has our country wrought in Iraq?
>
>"We choose to continue our non-cooperation with the
government's war on the Iraqi people through the simple act of
refusing to pay this fine. To pay the fine would be to
collaborate with the U.S. government's ongoing war against
Iraq. We will not collaborate.
>
>"We fully understand that the U.S. government may take other
action against Voices in the Wilderness, or possibly us as
individuals, for our continued refusal to collaborate with the
government's policies. But we invite representatives from the
government to enter into dialogue with us about how best to
correct the misguided, ill-conceived and criminal acts of our
country towards the Iraqi people. We invite all U.S. citizens
to pause and consider how we might bring about an end to the
blood shed and the violence in Iraq-an end to the occupation
and payment of reparations to Iraq for the devastation our
country has wrought upon the Iraqi people these past 15 years.
>
>"We pause to ponder the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who
asked of himself and his co-conspirators in resistance to
Hitler, whether they were yet of any use. We too live in times
of unspeakable peril and violence. We too live in times when
questioning and resisting our government is the one path
remaining to act for justice. We too have struggled and seen
untold numbers of innocent people die at our government's
hand. We too answer as Bonhoeffer did, that yes, indeed, our
acts and fidelity to our brothers and sisters throughout the
world are not only of use, but of absolute necessity. We
invite all to join us in a conspiracy of life to end our
country's war against the Iraqi people."
>
>#####
>